Chapter 25: Choker for a New Puppet

A furious scream echoed through the abandoned church as a fallen angel unleashed her rage. The mad exorcist had just delivered yet another disappointing report. For Raynare, it was becoming unacceptable how their plans kept spiraling out of control.

"What the hell do you mean you lost her, Freed?!"

Freed Sellzen, ever the lunatic, remained kneeling as he explained calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, dear Miss Fallen Angel, it seems a bunch of suit-wearing morons forced us to detour through a crowded area. They used the opportunity to separate us, and that little bitch apparently knew them, so she just went along with them without a fuss. I wanted to gut them on the spot, but I'm not quite insane enough to blow our cover in public. Worst part? Those idiots knew exactly what they were doing. They would've called the cops, and that would've made things worse for me. So yeah, I lost her. No wings on me yo follow."

"Men in suits... mere humans." muttered the only male fallen angel in the group.

"Could it be the Church? Are they trying to take her back?" asked the youngest-looking girl among them.

"Unlikely, Mittelt. The Church rarely reverses its decisions once someone's been excommunicated. It must be another faction—someone else who knows about the Twilight Healing bearer."

"Shut up! That doesn't matter anymore! This is just another failure!" Raynare shouted, slamming her fist against the wall and leaving cracks behind.

"With all due respect, Raynare," spoke the blue-haired fallen angel calmly. "Even if we recover the girl, it won't change much for our experiment. We had to sacrifice half of our stray exorcists just to smuggle the cross in. And that was all thanks to the person who mercilessly slaughtered them. The few survivors only spoke of a damn dancer in a blue dress who summoned water and ice in a strange way… apparently, it wasn't even magic. And now the cross will arrive late, since we can't use magic freely with the devils monitoring everything."

Raynare bit her nail, everything was falling apart. Ever since that humiliating "defeat" at the hands of the girl with the strange Sacred Gear who protected one of her prey. How she wished to go back and finish the job like she promised. Her identity had been compromised among humans, forcing her into hiding and using magic to erase her traces. She blamed that pathetic boy… and that white-haired bitch.

"Even so, we have to find her. Only then will we have the power we need to return to Grigori in triumph. Of course, after I take care of my little problem."

"Ah, right. That human with the unknown Sacred Gear—she was crazy enough to use firearms in the middle of a park without even setting up a magic barrier. Totally your type of girl, Freed. Just as deranged." Mittelt commented mockingly.

The mad priest only grinned at the mention.

"Yes... I'd love to meet someone that shameless and unhinged, bold enough to tell the world to screw off right to their face. Truly inspiring. Maybe I'll have a little fun with her before Miss Fallen Angel here finishes her off."

"That's if we weren't too terrified to even step outside. That power two days ago... It was disturbing. No magic, just raw, overwhelming power. That's where the devils in this territory went. If that power belongs to them, we're not exactly eager to cross paths. I was near the area when I heard something strange—a song."

The fallen angel's comment caught Raynare's attention.

"A song, Dohnaseek? Did you just say a fucking song?"

Her question made the man sigh. He had already reported it, of course, but as usual, their leader hadn't cared—until now.

"Finally decided to listen, huh? Fine. The power from two days ago came with a loud song. But it wasn't from a girl, like the one you described. This time, it was a boy."

Everyone in the room looked intrigued.

"A boy singing the same way as the person you told us about, Raynare... maybe they have the same Sacred Gear or something similar," Kalawarner added. "If that's true, it must've been terrible. I can't imagine some idiot singing while fighting, but if that's what unleashed that much power…"

"Maybe it was someone else entirely. Doesn't matter. Split up and find Asia no matter what. Kill any human that gets in your way." Raynare ordered, massaging her temple as a headache began to creep in. She was eager to return to Azazel-sama. She had heard he'd been replaced—by a mere human. When she returned with Twilight Healing and her mission complete, she'd reclaim her place. No, she'd bring a gift too.

"I think I'll perform two rituals. Just like I promised, I'll rip the Sacred Gear out of that singing bitch. Yukine-san... your Ichaival will be mine."

—-

In the park, a magic barrier enveloped the entire area, cutting Issei off from Shiro, Koneko's familiar.

The small white cat was confused—Issei had been right there just moments ago, answering a phone call, when suddenly the barrier made him vanish from sight. She couldn't get through without help, so she quickly contacted her master to report Issei Hyoudou's sudden disappearance.

Moments later, Rias and the rest of the club arrived at the scene in a magic circle. Akeno examined the area first. Her hand seemed to touch empty air, and with a small effort, she passed through the barrier with ease. She looked around, but there were no signs of Issei—or whoever had placed the barrier. What she did find was the talisman placed at the center of the park.

"Tsk."

When she broke it, the barrier collapsed. The rest of the club joined her.

"Akeno?"

"No signs of a struggle, no sneak attacks. They just vanished. It's easy to leave this barrier, but entering it is another story. This talisman… it's a less effective version of the ones we made, but just like the symbols, it worked well enough to do the job."

While the older girls discussed the situation, Koneko quietly followed her familiar, who was tracking a scent. When it reached the street, the little white cat returned to her master before disappearing. The small girl turned to her president.

"Buchou."

"Koneko. Did you find anything?"

"Yes… and no." Koneko hesitated before walking over to the bench where Issei had been sitting.

"Senpai walked toward the street… and it looks like he got into a car. There was someone with him, but they had no scent, no trace. Shiro could only detect their footsteps on the ground."

"So... they were already prepared to take Issei-san without leaving any clues behind. Not even a trail. Could it have been the fallen angels?" Akeno asked, concerned. Rias bit her nail before sighing.

"No. For Ise to go with them without resisting, it means he either wasn't in danger… or he knew them. Maybe he is still okay. So the only thing we can do now is split up and search for him the old-fashioned way… Sona is going to have a fit over this."

Just before she could make a call, Kiba spoke up, catching her attention.

"Buchou… I don't mean to alarm you, but… without looking, can you feel it? Someone's watching us."

Rias was a bit confused by the comment at first, but then gave a subtle nod.

They all began to feel it too—someone was watching them, hidden among the crowd in the distance. Soon, the sensation became obvious to everyone, but like Rias, they chose not to give away that they had noticed.

When the feeling finally vanished, the four students turned their heads toward a man in a black suit walking away toward a vehicle.

"Do you think he's part of the group that took Hyoudou-san?"

"The way he was watching us so intently… we can't rule it out." Rias turned to her queen and rook. "Akeno, Koneko. Search for Issei as best as you can in this area. Split up if you need to. Try to detect his Sacred Gear—or in Koneko's case, his dragon scent, if it's still lingering. Kiba and I will follow that man from the air. Let's move."

Everyone nodded in agreement before splitting up. As the two students slipped into the cover of the bushes, they spread their wings and took flight, staying hidden as they moved. Rias and Kiba began trailing the man's vehicle from above. It looked like Rias'd had to call her fellow devil companion and give her the bad news.

—-

After a short ride filled with awkward silence between them, Issei and Ryoko arrived at a modest restaurant. The two exchanged a firm look as Ryoko ordered food for three. Issei occasionally glanced at his teacher before finally speaking to her in his mind.

("Uhh… Sensei. Am I seeing double? And why did you want me to follow her orders without complaining?")

("Well... first of all, no, Issei, you're not seeing double. I've told you before that I was part of a reincarnation cycle, remember?")

("I think so. That was during the basics of alchemy, transmutation, and absorption, right?")

("Correct. She's my reincarnation from one of those past lives. And clearly, she's using the name of that individual.")

("So she's a spirit that possessed a body…")

("And erased the soul that originally lived in it. That Ryoko Sakurai likely doesn't exist anymore. Be careful.")

("Can I fight her? Just with my right fist?")

("That answers your second question. No… Issei, we're talking about someone who's lived through multiple reincarnations—some of which were famous warriors. And if one of those lives includes me… well, you're basically screwed.")

("Wow, great way to hype yourself up, Sensei.")

("Not trying to brag, but I'm fully aware I'm the strongest version of me.")

("Can't I just run away from her?")

("Can you be faster than Atalanta?… I doubt golden apples will work this time for one of my reincarnation.")

("Wow, if you put it like that… Although, just by looking at her, I don't think she has what you say she can do.")

("You're right about that. She doesn't seem special… Still—")

("An enemy can't be judged by appearance and… If she doesn't stand out physically… she'll stand out in other ways. She might be extremely intelligent.")

("Good, Issei. If she blackmails us, we won't be able to walk away easily or your family and…")

("Chris… Hope she isn't like Hannibal's level.")

("You watch too many movies, but i'm with you on that.")

"As hard as you're staring… Do you know me?" the woman asked as she approached, intrigued.

Issei froze in fear.

"U-Uh… Maybe."

"Hmmm… Were you told about me by someone?"

"Ah… No. Unless a spirit counts as someone."

("I heard that.")

("Hey… Lying to her would be worse.")

("Using my own words against me doesn't make you smart.")

"…A spirit?" the woman repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"The former wielder of the Boosted Gear. You look just like her. Why are you here?"

"Boosted gear?" Her skepticism shifted into a teasing smile as she leaned closer, giving Issei a full view of her cleavage. "Didn't you hear what I said about your arm? Or are you just distracted by something else?"

Issei blushed furiously, trying to avoid eye contact—both with the playful, stunning woman and with his Sensei, who was shaking her head in disapproval.

"C-Can we talk it over before I give an answer?"

He turned around—only to find himself face-to-face with the woman again, now wearing a carefree smile.

"Then let's start with a photo."

"…What?"

("Huh?")

The woman sat down next to him, lifted a camera, and began snapping several photos like selfies. Issei was completely baffled. If his teacher had been visible in the pictures, her expression would've been ghost-white at the behavior of her supposed reincarnation.

Issei didn't know what to think about the woman holding him. Her smile wasn't the fake one Raynare wore, but it definitely wasn't genuine either. And her behavior… that was the strangest part.

"Now, let me have a good look at you."

The woman playfully touched his face, examining him closely while maintaining that same smile.

("Ah… Sensei. What now?")

("...This is giving me a migraine. I knew my reincarnations were odd, but this is just—")

("Weird.")

("I was going to say immature of her, but yeah, that works too. Just… let her be, maybe is a little of that person she now possess, some quirk from our host tent to merged with us.")

After a while of examining him, Ryoko let out a soft chuckle before reaching for Issei's neck.

"Perfect." Click—a metallic sound came from her hand. Then Issei felt something tighten around his neck. He touched it—it was leather. Catching his reflection in the restaurant window, he saw it clearly. A choker, with a small device at the center. It looked like a dog collar.

"W-What is this?!" He tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge. He searched for a clasp or button, but couldn't find anything.

"Fits you perfectly."

("Sensei!")

("Tsk. She played us… just to lower our guard.")

Issei turned to Ryoko with a serious expression, though beads of sweat ran down his face. She, on the other hand, simply smiled and raised her hands as if surrendering.

"You're not supposed to be this naive, at least according to what I researched. But you didn't even suspect a good act without intent behind it. Something to work on. Don't worry—it's nothing more than a small preview of my services. Let me explain, if you're not in the mood to fight."

"...Fine…"

"What you've got on your neck is a new prototype universal translator. It's a study based on translation spells and the natural demonic ability to understand all human language. Almost makes the curse of Babel a joke… which is a bit frustrating for me."

"Curse of Babel? Frustrating how?"

"Never mind those opinions. All you need to know is that it translates every existing language."

"How do I know it really works? That it's not just a trick?"

"Since the moment I put it on, I've been speaking to you in Italian. But if you still don't believe me, then let's test it with someone who couldn't possibly lie to us—our second guest."

"Second guest?"

The sound of the back door opening echoed through the restaurant, followed by a man's voice politely guiding someone in. When Issei turned around, he saw the nun he had met with Chris a few days earlier—Asia Argento.

"Issei-san and…" she said, a bit confused before noticing the blonde woman who had stood up. The two of them embraced tightly with a jump. "Ryoko-san!"

"Ah… It's so good to see you again, Asia-chan…"

While the girls hugged, Issei stood frozen, mentally sorting through the situation with his teacher, trying to make sense of it all and figure out what to say. He was happy to see his new friend again, but… did this mean he was now dealing with the Church's faction? And his teacher's reincarnation was involved with them? After that choker was slapped on him, what else could he expect?

—-

Chris walked Sona to the front of her house just as the sun was beginning to set.

"See you, Kaichou."

"See you, Yukine-san. I hope your two-day nap doesn't make it impossible to sleep tonight."

As they parted ways, Sona's phone started ringing with a simple tune. She answered it, but only a few seconds passed before a shout burst out: "WHAT?! How did you lose him?!"

Chris instinctively turned back at the outburst, just in time to see Sona clamp her mouth shut and glance away awkwardly.

"Ah… S-Saji just caused a mess at the club. I apologize for the sudden outburst. I have to go…" Sona picked up her pace, leaving Chris standing there, puzzled.

Her parents wouldn't be back for a while, so she planned to wait for them inside—maybe catch up on some homework. Just as she was about to step in, Chris noticed Miki standing at her front door, gazing at the sunset with a worried expression. Something was clearly bothering her. Chris couldn't help herself and approached to see what was wrong.

"Miki oba-chan?"

Issei's mother jumped a little before lighting up upon seeing her.

"Oh… Chris-chan. How are you? Sorry, I was a bit distracted."

Distracted to not hear Sona scream.

"Miki oba-chan, is something wrong?"

She looked a little disoriented, like she was shaking something off.

"Eh? Ah… It's nothing. Just the usual feeling of an overprotective mother, I guess. I'm sure Sonnet would relate here, hehe. Are they here?" It was a nervous laugh, she clearly was bothered by something.

"No, My parents went out. Honestly, I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed for today."

"Well. Maybe they can have a date then. Wow, maybe Gorou and I should too. But…."

"... Are you worried about Issei?"

"Yes. I know, it's probably just a silly mother's instinct."

"No, Miki oba-chan, it's not that. But… What's bothering you?"

Miki took a moment to think, which confused Chris. Someone like Miki—so cheerful and expressive—it was unusual for her to struggle putting her feelings into words.

"It's just… today, Issei was acting very strange. I-I remember he wasn't moving his left arm for some reason, but it didn't seem like anything serious—no injuries. But I feel like I'm forgetting something about it."

Issei wasn't moving his left arm… That didn't sit right with Chris.

"Oh, and I remember there was a girl—Himejima—she was here at the house for a while. She was really polite and helped us with breakfast. And although it seemed bold, she was in Issei's room, with him. I tried bringing him things a few times, but Himejima-san always greeted me outside the door. I don't think they were doing anything improper—I didn't hear a sound—but I don't really get it… I couldn't seem to go in."

Akeno-senpai was here, in Issei's room… That alone made Chris uneasy, but the details were more troubling. Akeno intercepted Miki outside the room each time, and Miki seemed confused about not being able to enter… That sounded like hypnosis. Himejima-san used hypnosis on her. Why?

"Still, it makes me happy to see Issei interacting with so many girls lately. I don't know what you did, Chris-chan, but you really helped him somehow these days."

"Ah… I-I haven't done anything like that—"

Oh no, not again… Chris thought. It seemed like Miki Oba-chan had snapped back to normal again, again with the teasing.

"But all these past weeks, you've been walking to the academy with him, and you both always come home looking so lively. I heard Issei trained day and night, doing exercises at home. His grades have improved, and I can't help but overhear how much he talks about the girls at school—but in an innocent way, unlike he always does. It makes me feel at ease knowing he has a friend like you."

"..."

Chris couldn't help but blush, her eyes lowering to the ground as she remembered the other "Chris", she probably would be happy to hear this.

"But back to the topic, before I embarrass you more. Today he was acting strange—he didn't eat and left with Himejima-san, like they were heading to the academy. That's all I remember, really… It's hard to recall. He sent me a message saying he'd be staying at a friend's house, but… I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong with Issei, even if I don't know what it is."

Issei hadn't answered her calls, but Chris wouldn't blame him if he was avoiding her. After all… he had seen her berserk form. That alone would have unsettled him, or maybe it was a recommendation from Sona. She still wanted to ask if he was okay, but according to Sona, everyone was fine and she wasn't able to go herself to verify that, still tired.

"I… I think he'll be okay, Miki Oba-chan. I'm sure of it. And if it makes you feel better, I'll wait for him tomorrow when he gets back."

Issei's mother nodded calmly.

"Please do, Chris-chan. Thank you." She lingered a moment longer, then gently took Chris's hands in her own. "In the meantime… would you like to stay for a snack? I'd really appreciate the company with you."

Chris hesitated only a second before smiling and nodding.

"I'd love to, Miki oba-chan. Just let me lock up my house first."

For now she will play the role of Chris, maybe she can get more info about her childhood with him. About the first time they met, where was it and more.

—-

On the outskirts of Kuoh Town, a red motorcycle came to a stop at the sign marking the town's entrance. It halted in the middle of the road just as the rider's phone rang—again. She sighed at the familiar routine, pulling off her helmet to reveal her striking red hair.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, but I must insist—you need to come back."

"Still don't trust me, huh?"

"That's not it. There are more readings heading toward the same location. I can estimate that in two days, there's going to be a major confrontation on all fronts, and things will escalate fast. We need to bring those idiots in shackles straight to Grigori—or in coffins. If their problems spark the war again then…"

"That won't happen. I'm going to teach that idiot Raynare a lesson and bring our new ally back, no matter what. I have enough Linker to handle this…. Honestly, I'm still impressed you managed to recreate it, and even split my Symphogear," the redhead said as she glanced at her right arm.

"Remember, it's still just a prototype. Your gear isn't fully repaired, and that replacement is weaker in comparison—you won't be fully protected."

"I never was. Don't worry, I promise I'm not going to push myself more than necessary."

"Good, I'll hold you to that. My informants also tell me that one of my old projects has been brought here. If it's the one I think it is, our ally's days are numbered—if they did not already do it. But that might also mean they would be returning here for me to acknowledge them. Stop them by any means necessary and get out of there."

"Understood. Did you reserve my room?"

"Yes. Try not to wreck it—it's one of the most expensive hotels."

"Relax, I'm not my old partner…. She would've turned the place upside down in just two days. For now, I'm more interested in finding our ally."

"Whoever she is, we need to confirm her identity before a certain someone starts pulling strings. She's still a holy maiden—even if she's been excommunicated. That bastard is going to try it."

"Got it. And the other anomaly?"

"I don't think it's your old partner. My detector doesn't identify the gear the same way that tech you mentioned did, but it's clear these energy readings are from different people—and none of them match what's in your memory. But probably the same energy"

"That's good enough. If they are symphogear you would be interested in them for me to act. I'm on the move now. Wish you luck on your work."

"That's supposed to be my line. Just be careful."

"I always am, even Vali admits it."

"You pay him to say that."

"Hahahaha. Caught. Goodbye, Azazel."

"Goodbye. And don't you dare 'die again,' like you said Kanade."

"You're such a worrywart, you know that?"

After ending the call, the girl slid her helmet back on and revved the engine, speeding off toward Kuoh. Two days—before things got a lot worse than they already were. Worried demons, fallen angels on the hunt, and two Sacred Gear users about to be claimed by the factions.